The Bad Dog Agility Weekly for October 25, 2017

News, commentary, and training tips for the dog agility enthusiast.

Welcome to the BDA Weekly! I just got back from the gym, and I’m excited about getting some lunch, so let’s get to our first topic:

USDAA’s Cynosport World Games

The Cynosport World Games will be held at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee from October 25-29, 2017. For those not attending the event, there will be a Livestream available for $19.95. The sport has evolved so that you need both livestream and real-time results to spectate from the comfort of your computer or mobile device, so I’m hoping to make some time to check out some of my favorite handler-dog teams at this national level event.

Both Steeplechase and Grand Prix courses have grown more complex over the past few years, reflecting overall course design trends in agility. I prefer the Grand Prix action over Steeplechase, and I definitely want to see some Biathlon runs, as that event requires the most handling skill. One area where USDAA has been a leader in the sport here in the United States is the development and use of Video Instant Replay at this championship event. Two judges work with a broadcast engineer in a video room and may overrule and change a call made in the ring, add a call where none was made, or confirm a call.

She’s 15 now and sleeps all the time but back in the day, my border collie Rook did things like this at USDAA events…

Rebranding the AKC Invitational Prep Course

The American Kennel Club (AKC) Invitational is right around the corner and will be held in Orlando, Florida from December 15-17, 2017. Only the top few dogs in each breed have been invited to this exclusive event, and they will battle over 4 rounds for the right to make the Finals.

Bad Dog Agility’s sponsored athlete Jennifer Crank will be at the AKC Invitational this year, but not as a competitor. Instead, she will be coaching several students. Sorry, she’s booked up for live coaching at the event, but I have great news for her students and fans–she’s joining me as the co-presenter of this year’s on line course! Both Jennifer and I have competed at the Invitational and we love the trial, the atmosphere, and the amazing breed variety that you don’t often see at national level agility events.

Every year, competitors attending the event use our prep course to get ready. But what if you’re not going to the Invitational? Most of our past course participants did not compete at the event, but wanted to train with us and get better at agility. So this year, I want to emphasize that while the Invitational is the backdrop, this online course is actually a great opportunity to both train with Jennifer and to see how we approach the sport here at Bad Dog Agility. If you’re looking to dip your toe in the water, try this low-cost, time-limited course in which you’ll receive handling feedback from both me and Jennifer, as well as demonstrations, course map analysis, and mental prep.

Questions or Comments?
Send them to sarahandesteban@baddogagility.com and give me a few days to get back to you. If there’s any topic you think our audience would find interesting, let us know. See you next week, it’s time for lunch…